Major University in Belarus Debuts Crypto Diploma Course Following Legalization

Following the legalization of cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings (ICOs) in Belarus, a major Belarusian technical university is now offering a diploma course covering cryptocurrencies, their derivatives, and ICOs. Immediately, inquiries flooded in from people wanting to learn about this new industry.

Diploma Course at BNTU

Lukashenko announcing the legalization of cryptocurrencies.

Belarus’ president Alexander Lukashenko has legalized cryptocurrencies, ICOs, and smart contracts. As news.Bitcoin.com reported last week, he signed the decree “On the Development of the Digital Economy” which also exempts crypto-related income from taxation for the next five years.

Following Lukashenko’s announcement, the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU) announced a diploma course in the field of cryptocurrencies. Established in 1920, BNTU is a major technical university in Belarus. Its alumni include two former Belarusian prime ministers, Vyacheslav Kebich and Gennady Novitsky.

According to the university’s website, the course covers “operations with cryptocurrencies,” “operations with cryptocurrency futures,” “the use of blockchain technology,” and “ICO as an alternative to IPO.”

This 1-year and 8-month long program, beginning on March 12 of next year, is available to “persons with higher education as well as senior students of higher education institutions.”

Lots of Interest in Crypto Courses

On its Facebook page, over 100 comments were posted in response to the university’s announcement. Users also inquired about shorter courses for quick knowledge on the subject. One user wrote, “taking into account the speed of applying cryptocurrencies and changes in the world…in 1 year and 8 months, it will really be too late…is it really impossible to fit the program in a month or two?”

The institute explained that the course consists of not only cryptocurrencies but also various stock market instruments such as stocks and bonds, as well as methods of attracting investments. In addition, successful graduates will receive a state diploma “on retraining at the level of higher education” which will be impossible to issue if the course is shortened.

Nonetheless, many users on Facebook insist that they prefer quick knowledge to obtaining a diploma. A BNTU alumni who is now a project manager at Mobipay Belarus commented, “Please note – no one needs diplomas for a long time, knowledge is more important. What then should I do with this diploma and to whom should I show it [to]?”

Other users were interested in finding out about the cost of the course, who the teachers are, the interview process, and application requirements. Regarding the price, the university wrote:

The cost of training is 966 US dollars at the rate of the NBRB [National Bank of the Republic of Belarus].

However, one BNTU alumni commented, “it seems to me that $1,000 for a year is very, very, very high.” In addition, there are a number of free online courses in English for those interested in obtaining knowledge of cryptocurrencies such as on Coursera, Udemy, and the Khan Academy. The University of Nicosia also offers a free introductory course on cryptocurrencies, which lists Andreas Antonopoulos as one of the two teachers.

What do you think of BNTU’s diploma course? Do you think they should offer a shorter course? Let us know in the comments section below.

A student of Austrian Economics, Kevin found Bitcoin in 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests lie in bitcoin security, open-source systems, network effects and the intersection between economics and cryptography.

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